The mourners Tienie depicted in this sculpture are professional mourners hired to take part in the funeral procession of a deceased Egyptian Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Their function was expository – to act out the grief of the deceased person’s close relatives and followers.
Tienie depicted the mourners while crossing the Nile on their boat. Each mourner has her own persona, differing in facial features and physique from the others. They are patting dirt on their heads and wailing loudly. The dirt they are using is contained in a vessel standing between the figures. Their mourning movements were conducted by continually swaying their upper bodies Tienie depicted the mourners while crossing the Nile on their boat. They are patting dirt on their heads and wailing loudly. The dirt they are using is contained in a vessel standing between the figures. Their mourning movements were conducted by continually swaying their upper bodies backwards and forwards in a movement between leaning far to the back and touching the floor with their faces. Their movements are synchronized in a rhythm where each figure is moving in a different stage of the same repertoire, creating a perpetual undulating flow.
Dimensions: 373 mm high x 630 mm x 360 mm